NYT Executive Fatally Shot By In-Laws Amid Custody Battle, Court Documents Reveal
Court filings detail alleged threats made by the victim against his wife and children prior to the fatal incident.
Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old executive at The New York Times, was fatally shot in a Dublin, California, sports complex parking lot by his 77-year-old in-laws, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, according to court documents.
Witnesses reported that Zhang and Chen took turns firing shots at McKinsey on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred as McKinsey was embroiled in a contentious custody battle with his estranged wife, Candice Jang.
According to court filings, Jang stated that McKinsey had previously threatened to kill her and her parents. In an August custody filing, she wrote, “In my experience, appearing agreeable or happy around him was sometimes a means of avoiding his anger.”
Jang also alleged that McKinsey presented a book about a mother’s death to their three children, then aged 3, 5, and 7, as a birthday gift. She described the act as "deeply disturbing and frightening," given McKinsey's alleged prior threats against her life.
McKinsey, who transitioned from female to male in 2010, married Jang in 2011. He joined The New York Times in early 2023 as a senior engineering manager and later became director of engineering for games player experience. He was accused of abusing Jang and their children.
McKinsey had filed for divorce in 2025, leading to mutual restraining orders and a custody dispute. He was charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse in relation to the alleged abuse of Jang and their children, but was released on the condition he attend parenting classes.
The estranged couple were scheduled to appear in court regarding custody issues the Friday before the shooting. Police are investigating the family conflict as a potential motive for the shooting.